Clamping device



July 26 1927.

s; H. TUCKER ET AL CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,N M. a

y /M M d iii.

LII

Patented July 26, 1927.

UNl'lEl) STATES v 1,636,880 PATENT OFFICE.

STILES H. TUCKER, OF WOLLASTON, AND SAMUEL B. FIELD, OF HOLBROOK,

MASSACHUSETTS.

GLAMPING DEVICE.

Application filed September 16, 1924.

This invention relates to a clamping device, particularly to a clampingdevice of the character of a chain pipe vise.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction of clamping device which may be operated in a simple,rapid, and convenient manner to etiiciently clamp an article between apair of clamping members one of which comprises a flexible memberadapted to extend over the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedvise of the character of a chain pipe vise which may be economicallymanufactured and rapidly operated in a simple and highly convenientmanner.

To these ends the inventionconsists in the clamping device hereinafterdescribed and particularly defined in the claims at the end of thespecification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a chain pipe vise embodying thefeatures of the present invention: Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the.same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same; and 4iand 5 are sectionaldetails on lines ll, 55, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 6 is adiagrammatic view to be referred to illustrating he clamped action.

Referring to the drawings, the chain pipe vise illustrated therein andembodying the features of the present invention, comprises in general abase or body portion 10 provided with an integral flange portion 12which is adapted to rest upon and be secured to a supporting surfacesuch as a table 14 as illustrated in Fig. 3, to hold the vise inoperative position. The pipe or other article 16 to be clamped is placedupon the base or supporting member 10, to be received within a clampingmember or jaw 20 upon the upper surface of the base and which is here inshown as comprising a curved groove having teeth 22 for assisting in theclamping action. The vise is also provided with a flexible clampingmember for clamping the pipe or other article 16 against the base orbody port-ion 1b and asherein shown the chain 2 1 s capable of beingextended over the article and to'have one end portion 29 thereof securedin fixed relation to the base 10 by a member 30 secured to the base. its

Serial No. 738,024.

herein shown the chain is preferably constructed with pivot pins 29projecting beyond each of the links thereof and the member 30 is castintegrally with a depending rear portion 33 of the base 10 and isprovided with a pair of hooks 31 spaced apart sul'liciently to permitthe chain to pass between them and to permit the pins 29 to engage thehooks 31 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the operationof the vise, in orderto tighten the chain 24 around thepipe or other article 16 to clamp the same against the base 10, thesecond end portion 28 of the chain 24 is secured to an operating memberor handle d0 which operating member is pivoted at ll upon the base andthe point of connection therewith is located at a distance from thepivot ll so that when the pivoted member to is swung about the pivot andinto its operative clamping position, the second end portion of thechain is drawn to cause the chain to tighten around the pipe or otherarticle 16 and. to clamp it against the base. As herein shown, thesecond end portion of the chain is arranged to pass between guidescomprising a pair of bearing members 44, 46, spaced apart and mountedupon the upper portion of the base 10. The operating member or handle 40is preferably forked at its inner end, and each portion 47, 48 of thefork is pivoted upon pins 50, 51 secured in re enforced portions ofdepending'side members '52, 53 forming a part of the baselO. The

second end portion 28 of the chain is pivotally connected zit-.39 to oneend .of a rod 5% which is slidably supported in bearings 57 in the bodyportion of the operating handle or member 4-0." The second end of therod 54: is connected by a spring 58 to the outer end of the operatingmember or handle ldso that through the rod 5 and spring 58, the chain isyieldingly connected to the operating member 40 whereby when theoperating member is moved-from an inoperative to operative clampingposition, that is from'the full to the dotted line position asillustrated in F 1, the tension in the spring operates to take up theslack in the chain 2d and to tighten it around the pipe'or other article16 to be clamped." 7

Provision is made for securing thecha'in 2% in fixed relation to theoperating handle or member lt) when the latter has moved through aportion of its stroke and after the slack in the chain has been takenup, so that thereafter as the operating handle or member 40 is movedinto its operative clamping position, the chain is positively drawntightly around the pipe or article 16' and operates to clamp it againstthe base 10. For this purpose the intermediate portion of the rod a isthreaded and a split nut (50 is siidably mounted in suitably shapedopenings in the operating handle or member an to be capable of movementinto and out of engagement with the threaded pcrtion of the rod 54. ihesplit nut 60 is rmally held in a position out of engage- Qth thethreaded portion oi the rod v spring members 62, 63, secured to 0p 2sides of the operating handle or memr 46 as illustrated in Fig. 3. A cammembr 65, preferably adjustably mounted upon .ic base is positioned toengage the split out (it) when the operating handle or mem- 1 r 40 hasreached a predetermined point in movement toward its operative clampingposition. As herein shown the cam member comprises a U-shaped piecesecured within the lower portion of the base 10 and between thedepending rear member 33 and the depending side members 52., 53, bybolts 70 extended through slots 71 in each of the depending side members52, as illustrated in 2. With this construction, the cam member 65 maybe adjusted transversely of the base 10 to position it so it will engagethe split nut 60 at the desired point in the descent of the operatinghandle or member 1:0. In order to facilitate the adjustment of the cammember 65 an adjusting screw 'Z l is screwed through the rear member 32of the base 10 and is secured to the cam member (55 by a lock nut 75 andpin 76 as shown in Fig. 1. With this construction, therefore, when theoperator pushes down the operating handle or member 40 from thehorizontal position as illustrated in Fig. 2 toward a vertical position,the jaws of the cam member 65 engage the split nut 60 when the bandie 40has reacheda predetermined point as illustrated in Fig. l, forcing theportions of the split nut 60 toward each other and into engagement withthe threaded portion of the rod 54: thus securely locking the rod 54:,and consequently the chain as, in fixed relation to the operatinghandleor member i0. As the operator continues to depress the handle 40into the vertical position, the pivotal point 39 at which the end of thechain 24- is connected to the end of the rod 54: is caused to move in anare about the pivot nor the operating handle or member 4-.0 upon thebase as a center, thus drawing out the chain and causing it to tightlyengage the pipe or article 16 and to clamp the latter between the chainand the upper surface of the base 10. The movement of the pivotal point39 is illustrated in the diagram shown in Fig. 6, and the distancerepresented as 78 therein is the amount that the chain is drawn outduring the final clamping action.

In the vertical or operative clamping position of the operating handleor member 40, it will be observed that the pivotal point 35) at whichthe chain 2% is connected to the operating handle 40 is brought intoalignment with the pivot 4:1 of the handle upon the base, that thetendency of the chain 24 to move the handle all) from its operativeclamping position is rendered ineffective by the alignment of the pivotsin this manner so that the effect of the stress exerted by the chain 2 kupon the handle ad has no rotatable effect upon the handle.

It will also be observed that the present construction of clampingdevice may be operated very rapidly, the operator merely passing thechain over the pipe or other article and athxing it to the hooks 31 andthereafter depressing the handle 4-0 into a vertical position. Tounclamp the pipe or other article, the operator merely raises the handleinto the horizontal position, and unhooks the chain.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied inother forms within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vise of the character describech in combination, a base providedwith a clamping member a chain adapted to extend over the article to beclamped, and means for tightening the chain to clamp the article againstthe clamping member upon the base, including a fixed member for holdingone end portion of the chain and a pivoted member adapted to yieldablytake up the slack in the chain upon movement of the pivoted memberthrough a portion of its stroke, and means for rigidly connecting at adistance from the pivot the second end portion of the chain with thepivoted member before the pivoted member reaches its final operativeclamping position.

2. In a vise of the character described, in combination, a base providedwith a clamping member, a chain adapted to extend over the article to beclamped, and means for chain with the the pivoted member when thepivotedmember reaches a predetermined position in its movement into finaloperative clamping position.

3. In a vise of the character described, in combination, a base providedwith a clamping member, a chain adapted to extend over the article to beclamped, and means for tightening the chain to clamp the article againstthe clamping member upon the base, including a member secured to thebase for holding one end portion of the chain, a second member pivotedupon the base, a yieldable connection between the second end portion ofthe chain and said pivoted member comprising a threaded rod slidablymounted in said pivoted member and connected at one end to the chain, aspring connecting the second end of the rod to the pivoted memberwhereby as the pivoted member is moved towards its operative clampingposition the spring and rod yieldingly take up the slack in the chain,and means for rigidly Connecting the threaded rod to the pivoted memberwhen the latter has reached a predetermined point in its movement towardits final operative clamping position.

a. In a vise of the character described, in combination, a base providedwith a clamp ing member, a chain adapted to extend over the article tobe clamped, and means for tightening the chain to clamp the articleagainst the clamping member upon the base, including a member secured tothe base for holding one end portion of the chain, a second memberpivoted upon the base, a yieldable connection between the second endportion of the chain and said pivoted member comprising a threaded rodslidably mounted in said pivoted member and connected at one end of thechain, a spring con necting the second end of the rod to the -pivotedmember whereby as the pivoted member is moved toward itsoperativeclamping position the spring and rod yieldingly take up theslack in the chain, and means for rigidly connecting the threaded rod tothe pivoted member when the latter has reached a predetermined point inits movement toward its operative clamping position, said meansincluding a split nut movably mounted in the pivoted member and a cammember upon the base adapted to engage the nut,

5. In a vise of the character described, in combination, a base providedwitha ciamp ing member, a fiexible clamping member adapted to extendover the article to be clamped and means for tightening said flexiblemember around the article to clamp it against the clamp member upon thebase, including a fixed member for holding one end portion of theflexible member, a member pivoted upon the base and to which the secondend portion of the flexible member is fastened at a distance from thepivot,

guide members upon the base between which a portion of the flexiblememl'ier extends whereby the alignment of the flexible member betweensaid guides with the pivot for the pivotedmen'ibe-r and the point atwhich the flexible member connected to said pivoted member serves tolock the pivoted member in an operative clan'iping position. v

6, In a vise of the character described, in combination, a base providedwith a clamping member, a flexible member adapted to ex tend over thearticle to be clamped and means for tightening the flexible memberaround the article to clamp-it against the clamp member upon the base,including a fixed member for holding one end portion of the chain, apivoted member, a yieldable con nection between the second end portionof the chain and said pivoted member and adjustable means for rigidlysecuring the second end portion of the flexible member to the pivotedmember at a predetermined point in the movement of the pivoted member.

7. The combination with a clamping base of a fiexible'clamping membercooperating therewith and adapted to extend over the article to beclamped and means for tightening the flexible clamping member to clampthe member against said base, including means for holding one endportion of the flexible clamping member from movement, a

pivoted member to which the second end portion of a flexible clampingmember is yie1dingly secured and means for rigidly securing the secondend portion ofthe flexible clamping member to the pivoted member at apredetermined point in the movement of the latter into operativeclamping position.

8. In a Vise of the character described, in comblnation a base, aflexible clamping member adapted to extend over the article to beclamped, a pivot lever, said pivot lever having a yieldable connectionwith one end of said flexible clamping member adapted to take up slackin said flexible member during at least a portion of the movement ofsaid pivot lever, the other end or said flexible element being fixedlysecured to said base.

9. A vise of the character described, in combination, a base, I aflexible clamping member adapted to extend over the article to beclamped on said base, one end of the flexible member being fixedlysecured with respect to the base a pivot lever, a resilient connectionbetween said pivotal lever and the other end of said fiexible clampingmember, said resilient connection serving to take up slack in saidflexible member during at least a portion of the operative movement ofsaid pivoted lever, and means for rigidly securing the end of theflexible clamping element tocombination, a base, a flexible clampingmember adapted to extend over the article to be clamped on said base,one end of said flexible member being fixedly secured with respect tothe. base, a pivoted lover associated with said base, a resilientconnection between the. other end of said flexible clan'iping member andsaid pivoted lever for taking up slack in said chain during a portion ofthe operative stroke of said lever, means for means comprising devicesassociated With said base and engageable with said handle when thehandle approaches its said final operatrvo stroke.

STILES H. TUCKER. sA time B. FIELD.

